Core Styles

For the most part, yoga schools divide classes between two general approaches, vinyasa, which is movement-based, and hatha, which emphasizes holding poses for three to five breaths. Generally, vinyasa classes have less detailed instruction and are more focused on falling into the rhythm of your breath, while hatha classes provide more step-by-step anatomical alignment in order to teach students to strengthen and lengthen specific muscles. Both styles can be taught at all levels of intensity, from gentle to advanced.

At Shine and most everywhere, these two styles come together in many classes. Classes that are labeled hatha will have a portion of constant flow with the breath to warm up the muscles and prepare for held poses and vinyasa classes typically slow the flow to introduce a new pose, with detailed instruction. Some classes are specifically designed to incorporate both styles and are labeled mixed.

In addition to these two styles of movement-based yoga, we provide restorative yoga as a core style. Restorative gives you the opportunity to rest and stretch through guided meditation and the use of props. Similarly, we offer a myofascial release yoga class that uses tools to release fascia in between yoga poses, it is currently called yin/ yang.

Our philosophy is that all yoga is good yoga and we want you to find what you love and explore all the styles we have to offer. We hope that you will start to see the classes as a menu and feel how the different styles work together to improve your yoga practice on all sorts of levels.

Hatha

Anatomy-Based

Beginners, athletes, people with injuries, advanced practitioners--this class is for every body. Detailed anatomical instruction is provided to help you explore your yoga safely. Modifications are provided to help you go deeper or to accommodate an injury, illness, or limitation. Every week, we explore a different body system (hips, lower spine, feet and ankles, etc) within a well rounded sequence. Each class in the week is different, so the more you come the more you learn! The focus is always on increasing body awareness, improving strength and stability and feeling good in your body rather than achieving a perfect pose.

Fortify

9:00am-10:15am, Mondays and Thursdays, taught by Beth

A hatha style that encourages you to go deeper into your body and yourself. Strengthen small and large muscles alike and take the time to connect your life with your practice. Renew your body, mind and spirit and find the courage to move towards where you want to go, both on and off the mat.

YOGA BASICS and Meditation Techniques

Learn to do key yoga poses through detailed instruction and assists. Great if you are a beginner or would like to brush up on poses or ensure that you are doing them safely in more fast paced classes.

This class includes 15 minutes of guided meditation. Your teacher will teach different meditation techniques each week, guide you through the technique and anser any questions you have. We are offering a rotation of teachers from three different traditions for the Thursday class to provide more techniques for both meditation and asanas ( postures). Find what works for you!

Gentle

Returning Fall 2017

Gentle Hatha focuses on slow steady movement and held poses in order to connect the mind, body and breath. Great for people who need more one on one support or have trouble moving and holding poses for long periods. Also great for people who want to be sweet to their bodies and find a more relaxed, deeper connection.

Pose Clinic

10:30-11:00am, Wednesdays, taught by Sara

Workshop a pose each week, using Iyengar and functional anatomy techniques. Learn to do the pose safely and how to get deeper into it by understanding what body systems, muscles and bones are involved and how to use them. Follows Sara's anatomy-based 9am class.

Restorative

Let yourself completely relax. If you are a beginner, anxious, or are "in it for the savasana," this class is perfect for you. All poses are supported by props. We move through 5-6 poses within the hour while being talked through relaxation and guided meditation. Muscles and fascia are allowed to gently open up and stretch. Leave feeling at peace and more comfortable in your body. A lot of students choose to take the slow flow class that is offered prior to restorative. The two classes are a wonderful combination.

Baptiste Power

A high energy, nonstop movement class in the vinyasa style. Be energized and challenged, try and fall with no judgement. This class embraces vulnerability and challenges you, leaving you energized and empowered. Little anatomical instruction in this style, not suitable for beginners.

Slow flow

Suitable for people with low mobility and people who want gentle movement, this slow moving flow class keeps people on their feet for the majority of the time. We find a breath pattern at the beginning of the class and practice matching our breath to the movement making the breath as long as possible for each movement. Gradually the nervous system becomes more and more relaxed and our joints are more and more oiled up. The majority of students in these classes remain for the restorative class.

Vinyasa Workshop

10:30am-11:00am, Tuesdays, taught by Melissa

Workshop one pose each week that is commonly practiced in Vinyasa flows. Understand the anatomy, the intention and the dynamics of a pose by breaking it apart. Follows Melissa's 9am vinyasa class.

Both Vinyasa and Hatha

Yoga for Athletes

6:30am-7:30am, Thursdays, taught by Natalie

Learn from the yoga teacher of the Bills and Sabres, not to mention countless figure skaters. This is a challenging class for runners, sports enthusiasts, weight lifters and cyclists who need overall strengthening to balance their bodies and increased flexibility.

Yin/Yang

7:00pm-8:15pm, Tuesdays, taught by Sara

This class includes a little bit of everything. We start with myofascial release, followed by centering, flow to warm up the body and then hold static standing poses to increase strength. The class ends with yin poses that are held for longer periods with the support of the ground or the floor to help increase flexibility and a final guided relaxation.

Feature Style

5:45pm-6:45pm, Mondays, rotating teacher schedule

Every Monday a different teacher takes on this time slot. Some weeks we'll have a vigorous Vinyasa, some weeks will be gentle. It depends on the teacher and what they love to teach. It's designed to give you a taste of different classes that might not normally fit into your schedule.

Other Offerings

Kids Yoga

12:30-1:10, Saturdays through July. Will begin again after labor day. Taught by Christy

Preteen Yoga

noon-1:00pm, Wednesdays, rotating teacher schedule

Help your preteen build a practice of empowerment, mindfullness and self love into their lives now. Different teachers teach each week because we feel it's important for preteens to see different bodies, learn from people who have different different personalities, and to experience different approaches to yoga.